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-
- CACHE BUILD PROGRAM
-
- DESCRIPTION:
-
- This utility will build the latest root domain server cache for your
- BIND nameserver data base, by running nslookup to query one of the known
- root domain servers, and passing the output through an awk script to
- generate the file. Simple, really.
-
- Of course, your name server's current root.cache must have at least
- ONE working root domain server and its address, or you can't get to
- a root server to ask about other root servers. (But then, you'd know
- it by now, your nameserver wouldn't be working!) This will build a more
- up-to-date root.cache than the one that comes with the BIND distribution.
-
- Run cachebuild every month or two to keep your nameserver up to date.
- You can run it from cron if you're brave.
-
- Cachebuild should NOT be run on root name servers themselves --
- those sites are much too important to trust automated software!
- Cachebuild is intended to be used by normal Internet sites.
-
- HOW IT WORKS:
-
- The file "root.cache" is created in your currently directory when
- cachebuild is run. Don't worry though, if there's an existing file
- by that name it will be moved to "root.cache.old" (and similarly,
- an existing file by that name is moved to "root.cache.older").
-
- There's no guarantee that the output from this program is correct;
- after you generate a new root.cache file, examine it carefully and
- compare it with your old one. Keep your old root.cache files around,
- just in case!
-
- The only challenge is adjusting the awk script to work with the version
- of BIND that you happen to have installed. The awk script included
- works with nslookup from BIND version 4.8.3 and from SunOS 4.1.3.
- You can modify it as needed.
-
- INSTALLATION:
-
- 1. Edit the Makefile to make any modifications for your local site.
- 2. Type "make" to build the shell script cachebuild.
- 3. Type "make install" to install the program and awk script.
- 4. Move into a safe place (cd /tmp) and try running cachebuild.
- If you use the C-shell, you may need to type "rehash" first.
- Cachebuild should create the file root.cache in your current
- directory. Examine it.
- 5. If all is OK, you can safely run it in your name-server directory
- or just copy the new root.cache over there.
- If not, fix it, "make clean" and try again.
-
- ERROR MESSAGES:
-
- If it succeeds, cachebuild will return the usual exit status of 0.
- The only error message cachebuild generates is:
-
- Call to nslookup failed.
-
- which means that nslookup exited with a non-zero status value
- (indicating an error of some sort). Error messages from nslookup
- that are sent to stderr will come out on stderr from cachebuild, too.
-
- COMPLAINTS DEPT:
-
- Yea, I know, I should rewrite it in perl. ENOTIME.
-
- --
- Paul Balyoz, Senior Systems Programmer pab@rainbow.cse.nau.edu
- Northern Arizona University root@naucse.cse.nau.edu
- PO Box 15600, Flagstaff AZ 86011 {pab,root}@sunset.cse.nau.edu
- NICname: PB1 ...arizona!naucse!root
-